Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) and Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) are volatile memories, which only maintain data while powered. Of these two volatile memories, SRAM can provide faster read and write speeds, but provides fewer bits of storage capacity for the same number of transistors. Therefore, DRAM is often used where capacity (and price) is more important; and SRAM is often used where speed is more important than price. For example, DRAM may be used as main memory and SRAM may be used as cache memory. In contrast to volatile memories, non-volatile memory can preserve data even when no power is applied. Examples of non-volatile memory include Flash, phase change memory, and even memory based on magnetic devices (e.g., magneto-electric-based memory, magnetoresistive random access memory, and spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory). Common applications for non-volatile memory include storage drives.
As memory technologies develop, improvements to at least one of, if not more than two of, speed, power consumption, endurance, density, and cost are desirable. One growing area for storage is in data centers—particularly with the increasing amount of data that is being stored in the cloud. For example, it can be desirable to produce a module that can be integrated into a main memory of a computing platform, perform workloads at high speeds available to SRAM and DRAM, yet be persistent and provide data retention in the event of a power failure or system crash.